Student Profiles

Rebecca George
MFA Writing and Poetics,
prose concentration

Sports may not be customarily associated with the writing world, but when you grow up in the Chicago suburbs, they seem to force their way into your narrative. "I was once told," says Rebecca George, "that I was conceived with the sweat from Mike Ditka and birthed on the second row bleachers in Wrigley Field's right field." With that kind of pedigree, George completed her undergraduate work at U. of Iowa where, she says, she studied "literature, writing and football."

After earning another degree in education and teaching English overseas, she sought to fortify her creative side. "I chose Naropa for its faculty and its atmosphere," she says. "I knew that there would be more opportunity for experimenting with writing. I also felt that with the faculty here, I would have great opportunity to learn from their experience. The writing world can be competitive, and I think the greatest thing I have learned is to take advice as it comes, and to be open to learn and grow."

Still interested in teaching, George worked with undergraduates for a semester and looks forward to her future as a writer. "The Writing and Poetics program provides a place for experimentation and growth. You will be constantly confronted with various styles and forms of writing and room for you to experiment with these forms and styles. The faculty here has intimate knowledge with several mid century and current writers, which adds a great element to the learning process. You will have a chance to really make your education what you want, and within that space you will find your writing taking on new heights."

Nate Jordon
MFA Writing and Poetics,
prose concentration

"One philosophy to keep," says Nate Jordan as he nears graduation, "comes from the mind of Joseph Campbell: follow your bliss. If writing and/or poetry is your bliss, then keep doing it, and the universe will conspire with you."

Raised between California and Texas, Jordon has appropriately titled his thesis The American Road Novel: Its Significance in American Literature and Culture. In addition to this scholarly work, he is lengthening his creative manuscript, Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth: Scattered Scenes from a Suppressed Memory, into a book-length collection of short stories. To say he has been prolific would be an understatement.

"I came to Naropa University solely because of the Jack Kerouac School," he says. "Experiencing the contemplative aspect of my graduate education here has been an added bonus, not to mention the beautiful natural environment of Boulder. When I realized all the geniuses that have taught here or visited the campus (Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Amiri Baraka, Gary Snyder, Ken Kesey, etc.) I felt like I’ve been walking in the footsteps of giants."

A prominent characteristic of the Beats was an emphasis on experimentation and individuality. To participate in their lineage is not to mimic their style but, rather, to embrace a philosophy of uncompromising originality. "The classes at the Jack Kerouac School are geared to develop your personal style of writing," Jordon says. "Some other schools have a different perspective." When inquiring about why he wasn't accepted to a different university, Jordon says a theme emerged: talented but experimental. "The message," Jordon says, "was that the program would  take writers’ talents and mold them into what it thinks they should be writing and how. I found this artistically crippling and aesthetically shallow."

Further exhibiting his self-reliance, Jordon founded Monkey Puzzle Press and Monkey Puzzle Magazine during his time at Naropa. "Anne Waldman inspired me to do this under the whole DIY (Do It Yourself) Ethic, an ethos The Beats embodied, when she told me, 'Don’t wait to get discovered.  Discover yourself.' I will continue pursuing this endeavor as an independent publisher and look forward to the completion of the company website."